Key Biodiversity Areas

Priest Island (2579)
United Kingdom, Europe

Site overview


KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Priest Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: 57.9613, Longitude: -5.5115
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 78
Area of KBA (km2): 1.31714
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes

Site details


Site description: The outermost and most exposed of the Summer Isles, lying about 6 km to the west of Ullapool. Heath communities are interspersed with species-rich maritime heath and other cliff communities that exist where sea spray and guano supply nutrients. The island is important for breeding seabirds.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989; no significant boundary changes since then. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.

Habitats


Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)
IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Forest33
Shrubland33
Wetlands(Inland)33

Threats


Threat level 1Threat level 2Threat level 3Timing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesInvasive non-native/alien species/diseasesNamed speciesOnly in the future
Climate change & severe weatherTemperature extremesOnly in the future